Sara Price’s Road to the Runway: Motocross Champ Competes for Miss California Title

SoCal native Sara Price is known for her success in the sport of motocross. This weekend, the 20-year old prodigy is changing course and will be among 222 contestants vying for the title of Miss California USA 2013 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

The winner will be awarded scholarship and charity opportunities and can compete in the Miss USA pageant.

It’s a new direction for Price, whose has spent most of her life on the racetrack. As a teen, she was the “winningest female amateur rider in history” taking home 17 national amateur titles as well as AMA/WMX “Rookie of the Year” honors in 2009. She also won a Bronze Medal in the 2010 X Games.

For Price, motocross is a family affair. She started riding seriously at the age of eight following in the footsteps of older brother Dean, who was a dirt bike racer. She happened to be good at it too so her family supported Price as she traveled and competed while being home-schooled. Price went pro at the age of 16.

“It’s always been a family sport for us. It’s always been nice to go out to the track every day of the week and we had fun doing it,” Price told SWRNN.

The motocross champ is clearly ambitious. Price also runs her own business, Sara Price’s Racing Academy at the local tracks; she hosts the annual Sara Price Invitational at different tracks; she works as the office manager at her parents’ business in Riverside, Auto Styles Body & Paint; and she is seeking to break in to the four-wheel driving circuit. In addition, she’s the spokeswoman for MotoMingle.com, a social network for the off-road community.

Away from the track, Price serves as Ambassador for the Kids Cures Foundation, a Beaumont- based non-profit that provides programs, services and resources to children who suffer from childhood diseases and their families.

While healing from torn ligaments in her left wrist that she sustained during practice for the 2012 X Games, Price decided to use the down time to compete in a 2012 Miss Teen Pageant. She won Miss Photogenic while finishing as the first runner-up and was invited to compete in Donald Trump’s Miss California USA pageant.

Though currently focusing on her pageant skills – preparing for the equally scored onstage events: interview, swimsuit and evening gown –motocross is still a big part of Price’s life. She can often be found at the local tracks in Perris, Lake Elsinore, San Bernardino, Riverside and Hesperia.

“What I’ve learned is to just be yourself,” Price told XGames.com. “When you do that, it’ll show, and that’s what the judges want to see.”

Will Price swap out her racing helmet for a diamond tiara? Watch live this weekend to find out. http://www.misscaliforniausa.com/